New Traveler Security and Data Suite Addresses Top Need Cited by Corporate Travel Managers
SOUTHLAKE, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–July 23, 2007–Sabre Travel Network, the world’s largest and most rewarding marketplace for buying and selling travel and the leading technology and services provider of solutions for corporate travel, announced today that it has launched its new Traveler Security and Data Suite. The new suite provides an affordable solution to enable corporate travel managers and agencies to quickly locate travelers worldwide, as well as providing insight through historical and advanced-booking reports.
In a recent survey of Corporate Travel Managers, The National Business Travel Association found that the impact of terror plots on corporate travel and air security was the most prominent travel event of 2006. In one-on-one discussions with corporate travel managers, they have reinforced this point, expressing an urgent need to manage such impacts as quickly and efficiently as possible.
To address this top industry need for the corporate marketplace, Sabre created the Traveler Security and Data Suite as an easy-to-use, interactive, web-based application that provides secure access to pertinent travel data and delivers detailed reports to help corporate travel agents and travel managers quickly take action in case of an event anywhere in the world. It also features scheduled and ad-hoc reporting capabilities to assist with many operational and business needs.
“We live in a world that increasingly requires corporations to immediately locate employees in times of world events – whether they are terrorist events or natural disasters,” said Greg Webb, chief marketing officer of Sabre Travel Network and Sabre Airline Solutions. “This new suite meets that corporate need and also provides many additional reporting and notification features. Sabre has leveraged several of its data and reporting capabilities to deliver a robust solution at an affordable price.”
The Traveler Security and Data Suite is available 24/7 via secured access. Users can drill down from a world map to a list of travelers with detail, or use specific criteria to target the search. The detailed report includes traveler contact information and complete Sabre reservation data. Users can also access a traveler’s itinerary for more detail using an easy link to Sabre Virtually There, and a Flight Threshold Report notifies companies when the number of travelers booked on one flight exceeds the corporation’s travel policy.
Beta users of the Traveler Security and Data Suite leveraged the new capability in conjunction with the recent security incidents in the United Kingdom:
“When we heard of the situation in the UK, we immediately accessed the TSDS software and requested a report of all travelers in the UK from June 30th through July 9th,” said Louis Rodriguez, director of IT & Training at Valerie Wilson Travel Inc., one of the beta users of the Traveler Security and Data Suite. “The response time was very quick and we were able to forward these reports via email to key people within Valerie Wilson Travel, Inc. and to our clients.”
Steve Boschetto, director of Operations for Colpitts and a beta user for the suite, was impressed with both accuracy and speed of the response for Colpitts: “I was able to pinpoint all travelers and run various tests. When results were compared to our back office information, they were 100 percent accurate. It really proved its worth during the recent UK events as we were able to locate all our travelers in Britain in a matter of seconds.”
Upon activation of the Traveler Security and Data Suite, detailed air, car and hotel data is immediately available for nearly a year of pre-trip information and three years of post-trip data for reservations made through Sabre.
“Having access to the future bookings enables us to be proactive with both our internal and external customers,” said Rodriguez at Valerie Wilson Travel. “It allows us to quickly identify where our customer is at any given time. Knowing that we have secured and reliable information at all times helps us maintain a better relationship with our customer.”
Cindy Heston at The Thompson Corporation, one of the corporate beta users, also has been able to leverage the broader capabilities of the Traveler Security and Data Suite: “The greatest benefit I experienced is the broadness of the tool. I signed up for a security suite system and in the end had a tool that could provide a variety of functionality. I can run pre-trip data and coordinate arrival/departure lists for groups. I can validate hotel prices against our corporate directory, etc. The uses are really endless.”
The Traveler and Security Data Suite benefits both corporations and the agencies that serve them:
— Security: In the event of any world event or natural disaster, it provides the ability to quickly locate all employees all around the world.
— Complete data: Historical and pre-trip data is stored for all reservations made in Sabre, both ticketed and unticketed. No additional effort is required to capture and store data.
— Customer confidence: Offering peace-of-mind for a company to quickly locate their travelers. It also enables agents to expertly manage corporate clients with relevant and timely data.
— Affordability: By using Sabre’s extensive reporting experience and capabilities, and by optimizing how the suite interfaces with Sabre, the price for this suite is lower than anything currently in the market.
— Risk management: Ensures the number of employees or VIPs per flight does not exceed corporate travel policy.
— Operational and business needs: Such as negotiating supplier rates, managing corporate travel policy compliance and identifying travel trends.
— Flexibility: Sabre’s product will provide a single turnkey solution for many customers, however, if a customer wanted to integrate our product as a component of a broader suite that would be possible as well.
“Thank you Sabre for getting it right with the Traveler Security and Data Suite product,” said Stacy Souza, director of Air Services at Princess Cruises and Cunard Line “This is a great tool and I know we will find many uses for it, from locating travelers across the globe to streamlining business practices and providing pre- and post-travel reports. With our volume of travelers every day, it’s nice to know we now have a quick and easy way to find traveler records and act quickly to resolve potential problems.”
The launch of the Traveler Security and Data Suite is more evidence of Sabre’s commitment to end-to-end corporate solutions to help agencies expertly manage corporate client’s travel programs. Other corporate end-to-end solutions introduced in 2007 includes Sabre Air, the Rate Assured hotel program; the Sabre Corporate Efficiency Formula; and an enhanced version of Sabre VirtuallyThere. In addition, GetThere introduced Direct Meetings which provides key capabilities that leapfrog competitors in the critical ad-hoc meeting space, and Advanced Messaging that provides Dynamic Messaging for flexible, expert messaging capabilities that displays pertinent information to the traveler based on displayed results.
About Sabre Travel Network
Sabre Travel Network, a Sabre Holdings company, provides the most comprehensive end-to-end solutions for corporate and leisure travel. The Sabre GDS is the foundation for these solutions, providing a ready-built efficient marketplace that connects travel suppliers, including hundreds of airlines and thousands of hotels, with more than 50,000 travel agency locations. Currently, Sabre collectively handles over 70 percent of the BTN 100 bookings.
Key brands of Sabre Travel Network include GetThere, for corporate travel reservation technology; Jurni Network, a consortium of leisure travel agencies providing marketing and promotion services; Nexion, a host agency; SynXis, for hotel reservation management, distribution and technology services; and TRAMS, mid- and back-office solutions and marketing services for travel agencies. Sabre Travel Network also markets TripTailor, a travel wholesaler providing dynamic packaging for the travel agency marketplace.
Sabre Holdings connects people with the world’s greatest travel possibilities by retailing travel products and providing distribution and technology solutions for the travel industry. More information about Sabre Holdings is available at http://www.sabre-holdings.com.
Sabre Travel Network and the Sabre Traveler Security and Data Suite, the Sabre Corporate Efficiency Formula, Sabre VirtuallyThere, Sabre Air and the Sabre Travel Network logo are trademarks and/or service marks of an affiliate of Sabre Holdings Corporation. All other trademarks, service marks, and trade names are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Sabre Travel Network
Kathryn Hayden, 682-605-2252
817-296-7693 (cell)
kathryn.hayden@sabre.com
